Turbine.



E. ANDERSON.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.1,1910.

1,105,602. Patented Aug. 4, 191

0BHBETSSHEET 1. 29?! WITNESSES. INVENTOR E. ANDERSON.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1910.

1, 1 05,602. Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

a SHEETSSHEET z.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 25 AT ORNEYS E. ANDERSON.

' TURBINE.

APPLIOATION TILED NOV. 1, 1910 l, 1 05,602. Patented Aug: 4, 1914.

6 SHBETSSHEET 3.

I ,w W gs WITNESSES: INVENTOR W WW S BY u/i ywp a; ATTORNEYS E.ANDERSON.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1f1910.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

0 SHEETS SIIEBT 4.

E. ANDERSON.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.1,1910.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

W INVENTOR 42 AT ORNEYS 4 k. KMAF Ir kl HUL kl I X W VP VECLC VQJN 4/in} I I M an mm L llllllillllll I r .A pr 1 KM m? .ww If l I THE NORRISPETERS CU" PHD'H LITHL'). WASHINGTON. D. l

E. ANDERSON.

TURBINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1910.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

8 BEEETBBHEET 6.

WITNESSES TORNEYS TATE ATENT FFTCE.

ElVIIL ANDERSON, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 330 H. STANLEY TODD, orNEW YORK, N. Y.

TURBINE.

1,1o5,co2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4;, 1914.

Application filed November 1, 1910. Serial No. 590,175.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, EMIL ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of New York, county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbine-Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in turbine engines and consists ina novel ar' rangement and construction of buckets carried by theimpelling element, in combination with reaction surfaces or recessescarried by stationary abutment elements as will presently appear.

The objects of my invention are first, to provide for economicallyemploying the motive fluid through several steps in the same stages;second, to economically employ motive fluid through a succession ofhighpressure stages; third, to provide for a similar employment of themotive fluid through a succession of low-pressure stages, and fourth, toprovide for the operation of the engine in either direction at will.

To the foregoing ends my invention consists in many novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, such as will be fully pointedout hereinafter, and, in order that my invention may be fullyunderstood, 1 will now proceed to describe an engine constituting anembodiment thereof, having reference to the accompanying drawingsillustrating the same, and will then point out the novel features inclaims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in approximately centrallongitudinal section through a turbine engine constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical transverse sectiontherethrough, the casing being shown in central section and theimpelling element upon such a liue as to disclose the buckets upon oneside of the transverse medial plane thereof such as l hereinafter termthe high pressure buckets; the line of this section is indicated by theline i2-2 in. Fig. 8. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical transverse sectionthrough the engine, the line of section passing through the stationaryreaction member in close proximity to the impclling high pressurebucketsshown in Fig. 2, as indicated by the line 3-3 in llig. 8. Fig. 4;is a view in transverse vertical section through the engine upon a linepassing through the stationary reaction member in close proxunity to thebuckets upon one side of the transverse medial plane thereof such as Ihereinafter term the low pressure buckets the point of view, however,being in a direction looking toward the high pressure buckets; the lineof this section is indicated by the line -l -l; in Fig. 8. Fig. 5 in adiagrammatic view in development looking down upon the stationaryabutment in which the reaction surfaces are contained and upon theperiphery of the rotary element. Fig. (3 is a diagrammatic view showingthe relation of the impelling buckets in the rotary element to thereaction surfaces in the stationary abutment. Fig. 7 is a view intransverse section through the rotary impelling element and in sideelevation of one of the stationary rings looking toward thehigh-pressure reaction surfaces therein. The line of section isindicated by the line 7--7 in Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a detail view inlongitudinal section upon a somewhat larger scale through the stationaryrings and the peripheral portion of the inipelling wheel, the plane ofsection being indicated by the line S-S in Figs. 3 and 4:.

In general the engine comprises a stationary casing 10 provided with endheads 11 and a rotary impclling element 12 mounted upon a central driveshaft 13 which is journaled in suitable bearings 14 carried by the endheads 11 of the casing. The casing 10 has a substantially cylindricalbore therein concentrically arranged with respect to the axis ofrotationof the rotary element, and secured fast therein within the saidbore are two rings 15 constituting stationary abutment elements in whichthe reaction surfaces for the motive fluid are contained, as will bepresently described. As a matter of convenience in manufacture therotary impclling element 12 is made in two parts lo lti divided upon amedial plane, the end portions of the parts it) being extended outwardlyin llangc-like form as appears at 17 in Fig. 1 of the drmvings. Betweenthese [hinge-like portions 17, the rotary clement carries a ring 18rigidly secured thereto, the outer faces of the ring portion 18 and theinner faces of the llange portion 17 containing recesses such asconstitute buckets for receiving the motive fluid as follows: Referringnow particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 the ring 18 will be seen to containfour sets of buckets l920-21-22 disposed in concentric annular ringsaround each other, the rings being offset or stepped laterally withrespect to each other as appears in Fig. 1, the uppermost ring ofbuckets 19 being nearest to the medial. plane of the impelling wheel andthe rings 202122 being offset outwardly from the medial plane as they approach toward the axial centers of the impelling wheel wherein theyconstitute a series of steps. For convenience of description I havetermed these buckets herein as the high pressure buckets of theimpelling wheel, it being understood that there is a similar set ofthese high pressure buckets upon each side of the medial plane whichface in the opposite direction, 2'. e., both these sets of high pressurebuckets face outward from the said medial plane. Upon the side of theflange-like portion 17 of the impelling wheel facing the high pressurebuckets area set of low pressure buckets arranged in concentric rings 2324 5, the said rings being laterally ofiset as they progress toward theouter periphery of the impel-ling wheel so that they are substantiallycomplementary to the sets of buckets 19-- 202122 in the ring 18, exceptthat the inner ring of buckets 23 in the flange 17 corresponds to thetwo inner rings 21 and 22 in the ring member 18, the buckets of the set2-3 being of such a size to be substantially opposite the buckets ofboth of the sets 21 and 22, the buckets of the sets 24L and 25 be ingopposite respectively to the buckets of the sets 20 and 19, The generalshape of the buckets will be understood by reference to the diagrammaticView Fig. 6 in which the buckets appear in end view, read in connectionwith Fig. 2 in which they appear in side elevation. Each of the bucketsis in the form of elongated recesses having curved ends 26 terminatingin sharp edges 27 upon the face of the portion of the impelling wheelcontaining them, the said buckets hav ing a substantially triangularabutment or dividing wall 28 intermediate their ends and projectinginward from the face of the part containing them to a distance part ofthe way into the complete recess. The high and low pressure buckets justdescribed are arranged face to face with re-action surfaces in thestationary abutment elements 15, and one complete set of the highpressure re action surfaces appears in Fig. 7. These reaction surfacesare comprised in a plurality of concentric rings corresponding to therings of the buckets in the impelling wheel, and as there are four ofthese high pressure bucket rings upon each side of the impelling wheelthere are correspondingly four sets of high pressure reaction surfacesin the stationary abutment elements. These reaction surfaces arearranged in six groups with.

.2973031-3233-34, the groups 2931 the ring, and the groups 3032 and 84being similarly arranged in alternation there- Considering first of allthe groups 29-8l and 33 the recesses will be seen to be progressivelyarranged, that is to say, the outer set thereof constitutes a ringsegment which extends through nearly one-sixth of the circumference,while the next set commences at a later period looking toward the leftin Fig. 7, and so on,each set progressively toward the central axis ofthe en gine commencing later and extending through a shorter arc.Reference is made to Fig. 6 for the cross-sectional form of thesereaction surfaces or recesses, such surfaces or recesses beingdesignated individually by the reference character 35. They are recessed from the surfaces of the abutment element, forming channels whichenter into the interior thereof and emerge at a point farther inadvance, the portion between the point of entry and the point ofemergence constituting a wall or abutment 3 6. The total length of eachrecess is just equal to the total distance between the contiguous endsof adjacent buckets, but the distance between the recesses is slightlyin excess of the width of the bridge wall 28 of the buckets. The reasonfor this is as follows: The motive fiuid in the operation of the engineenters a bucket and is projected first against the bridge piece 28thereof and then toward the forward wall thereof, thereby exertinganimpactive force upon the rotating element tending to move it in thedirection of the arrow'in Fig. 6. This motive fluid emerges from theforward end of the bucket and enters the rear end of one of the channelsor recesses 35 in the stationary abutment element, and in the reactiondue to the reversal of the direction of the .motive fluid therein exertsa further force tending to move the rotary elements in the samedirection. The motive fluid is then again projected forward and in thedirection of the next succeeding bucket into which it enters and impartsa further portion of its energy. This again continues except that whenit reaches a point wherein it can enter the recess of the nextsucceeding stage it will expand to the extent permitted by the increaseof area afforded by the two sets of recesses and the two sets ofbuckets, as will presently be explained. As the motive fluid moves Iforward, however, through the various ref cesses, the rotating elementwill be moved in the same direction, hence the distance beftween tuerecesses or channels 35 is desige nated to be such that at apredetermined rate of movement of the rotary element, the rear oradmlsslon end of the buckets will successlvely register with the forwardor discharge ends of the re-action recesses or while the outermost. isthe shortest.

naoneoa channels 85. this arrangement there is at no time any continuouschannel for the motive fluid. Assuming the rotating element to bestationary for instance, it will then beseen that by reason of theincrease of distance between the abtument recesses the motive fluid willbe cut oii from further movement after it has passed through several ofthe buckets and will not be able to move farther along until in amovement of the rotary element the forward buckets are gradually open tothe recesses.

The groups 29-3l and 33 of the reaction recesses are arranged forco-action with the buckets in the rotary impelling element during themovement of the latter in one directi on, and for simplicity ofdescription this direction may be termed herein the forward direction ofthe engine and is indicated in the variousviews by arrows. re-actionsurfaces or recesses of the groups 3032:34 our the other hand arearranged for co-action with the buckets upon the impelling wheel whenthe latter is rotating in the opposite direction, 11. (3., in adirection opposite to that of the arrows in the several figures, whichdirection will be termed herein the rearward direction. The recesses ofthe groups 30-32 and 34 are, for the foregoing reason, oppositelyarranged with respect to the recesses of the groups 29-31 and 33; andfurthermore, the innermost set or ring segment of each group is thelongest,

for the reason as will presently appear that in. a rearward direction ofdrive motive fluid is admitted; to the inner rings of buckets first andpasses-thence to the outer, while in the forward driving, motive. fluidis first understood by reference to Fig. 3, crossover passages orchannels 37 being provided for this purpose. At their forward ends theentire set of each of the groups are arranged to communimite withtransfer passages 38 which communicate with transfer valves There arethree of these transfer valves 39 arranged equidistantly around theengine, being disposed between the contiguous groups of recesses 29 and30, 31 and 32, 33 and 3d, and when the valves are Set in the positionfor forward driving the transfer passages 38 of the groups 29-31 and 33are arranged in direct conununication therethrough with low pressurereaction surfaces upon the opposite side of the rings It will? also beseen that by The This is 15. Referring to Fig. 4 it will there be seentthat there. are six groups of recesses constituting low pressurereaction surfaces correlsponding to the six high pressure groups ishownin Fig. 7. These groups are respec tively designated by the referencecharacters l()-:l1-t2-l3-tl-t5, the groups 40 12 and -14 being arrangedin communilcation with the groups 20-31 and 33, while the groups 4J3-4-land 43 are complementary to the groups 30--32 and 3-1. When the values39 are set for forward driving of the engine as above described, therear ends of the transfer passages 38 of the group 29 for instance,communicate through the valve 39 with the forward end of the innermostset of the reaction surfaces 40 that is to say, at the end thereof firstapproached in the forward direction of rotation of the engine. The setsof low pressure recesses have crossover passagis 37 at their forward andrear ends corresponding to the similar cross-over passages alreadyreferred to for connecting the several sets of each of the groups ofhigh pressure reaction sl'lrifaces, and at their rear end each of thelow pressure groups of surfaces connect either directly or throughcertain of these crossover passages with exhaust chambers 46. There arethree of these exhaust chambers 46 upon each side of the engine, locatedrespectively in proximity to the contiguous exhaust ends of each pair ofthe low pressure groups, 2'. 0., the groups employed in both directionsof rotation of the engine, as will be well understood by reference tothe drawings and particularly to Fig. 4 thereof.

The engine is provided with three inlet valvesdi, located. equidistantlyaround the casing of the engine and disposed between the inlet ends ofthe contiguous groups of the high pressure recesses, that to say, theyalternate in position with the position of the transfer valves 35). Eachof these valves in the construction herein shown comprises a rotatablymounted disk 48 having two openings l9 therein (see Figs. 2 and 5). Thevalve is arranged to be moved to the position shown in the lower part ofF ig. 5 I wherein the openings -19 will be in line with l passages whichlaid to buckets in the rotary l inipelling member in the immediateproximity of the inlet ends of the outermost high pressure reactionsurface recesses of 11 the groups 29-31 and 33 respectively, and 1 whenthe valves are adjusted to such a. position the engine will be adjustedfor forward driving, '1'. (1., driving in the direction of the arrows inthe drawing. W hen these valves ,l-T, however, are rotated through anangle of 180 degrees and in which position one of them is shown in theupper part of Fig. 5, these openings 1-9 will be in line with otherpassages which lead to buckets in the rotary impelling member inproximity to the &

inlet end of the innermost set of the reaction surface recesses of thegroups 3()32 and 34L, and in this position of the. valves the enginewill be adusted for rearward to those buckets of the impelling wheelcon-,

tained in the outer rings 19 thereof such as are in the immediateproximity of the inlet openings in line with the said valves, thence themotive fluid will pass to the first high pressure reaction surfacerecesses of the outermost sets of the groups 293133: Thence the motivefluid will pass backward and forward between the reaction surfaces inthe outermost sets of the groups 2931 and 33 and the buckets in therings 19 of the rotary member as the said reaction surface recesses aresuccessively reached. When the first cross-over passages 37 whichconnect the outermost and next succeeding sets of recesses of the groups2931 and 33 are reached, the motive fluid will be permitted to enter thebuckets not only of the outer rings 19 of the rotary element, but alsothe buckets of the rings 20 thereof, and in the further movement of therotary member the motive fluid will pass backward and forward betweenthe buckets in the two rings 19 and 20 of the rotary element and thereaction surfaces in the two outermost sets or rin se ments of the 'rouas 29-3133.-

h C b The motive fluid will thus be permitted to expand intosubstantially twice the space it heretofore occupied. In the furthermovement of the impelling wheel it will successively reach thecross-over passages 37 which connect the reaction surface recesses ofthe next succeeding ring segments of the groups 2931 and 33, and so onuntil the innermost of the ring segments have been reached. Thence themotive fluid will pass through the transfer passages 37 and through thetransfer valves 39; thence the motive fluid will pass to the oppositeside of the stationary abutment rings 15 to the low pressure groups ofreaction surface recesses 10-42 and 4%. It will then pass progressivelythrough the several stages therein in the same manner as has beenheretofore'described in connection. with the several stages in the highpressure side, to be finally discharged through the exhaust passages 46.

It will be understood that the low pressure buckets and reactionsurfaces are of larger area than the high pressure buckets and reactionsurfaces, the channel provided by the sets thereof which first receivethe motive fluid from the high pressure sets being of a capacitysomewhat greater than all of the high pressure sets, so that the motivefluid will expand from the high pressure sets to the low pressure sets,and will of course continue to expand through the several stages of thelow pressure sets as the successive sets thereof are reached and theirarea is added to the previously reached sets, just as was described inconnection with the high pressure sets.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that considering the fourconcentric ring segments of the high pressure reaction surfaces and thethree concentric ring segments of the low pressure reaction surfaces,the motive fluld will pass through seven stages successively so that 1tw1ll be permitted to expand no less than seven times before it finallyreaches the exhaust. Furthermore, because of the admission at threepoints in the engine this will be taking place through three differentchannels equidistantly arranged around the axial center of the engine,whereby there will be a complete balancing of pressure so far as thecentral bearings of the rotating element are concerned. When the engineis to be run in the opposite direction, 11. 6., in a rearward directionas it has been heretofore termed, the position of the inlet valves 48 isreversed as is also the position of the transfer valves 39. Motive fluidin such a case passes to the buckets in the impelling wheel which are inproximity to the inlet end of the segments of reaction surface recessesof the innermost ring segments of the groups 30 3234t. The motive fluidpasses backward and forward through the buckets in the impelling wheelprogressively in the opposite direction to that above described, beinggradually brought into cooperation with the recesses of the outer ringsegments of the groups 3032-3 l progressively, until finally they reachthe outer transfer passages 38 which connect with the transfer valves39.The transfer valves 39 are in a position now to close communicationbetween the high pressure groups 2931 and 33 with their complementarylow pressure groups 4042 and 44 and to open communication between thebuckets of the high pressure groups 3032 and 33 with the complementarylow pressure groups 4541 and 4:3. Thence the motive fluid will passprogressively through the buckets of the outer toward the buckets of theinner ring segments until they finally reach the cross-over passages 37at the termination thereof through which they may pass out through theexhaust passages 4-.6 into'the casing from which they escape through thebase thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the engine may be run in eitherdirection by the mere adjustment of the inlet valves 47 and the transfervalves 39, it being understood that when the engine is running in aforward direction the .reaction recesses of the high pressure groups29-31 and 33 and of the low pressure groups l()-f2 and H are activewhile those of the high pressure groups 303234t and of the low pressuregroups 4l5 t1 and 43 are idle, while the converse is true when theengine is run in a reverse or rearward direction. It may be noted thatby reference to Fig. 5 the course of the motive fluid for forwarddriving may be traced by commencing with the lowermost inlet valve andso following the course of the motive fluid through the successivereaction surfaces and the transfer valves, While similarly the course ofthe motive fluid may be traced from the uppermost valve downward whenthe engine is run in a reverse or rearward direction. iVithreference toFig. 5 it must be borne in mind that this view is purely diagrammaticand that in order to show the buckets and reaction surfaces upon asufficiently large scale while at the same time disclosing a completeset of them, the number of them shown has been reduced from that whichis shown in the constructional view.

What I claim is: y

1. A turbine engine comprising a stationary casing element and a rotaryimpelling element mounted therein, the said impelling and easingelements being provided with two sets of buckets and two sets ofreaction surfaces, the sets of buckets and reaction surfaces beingarranged for respective coengagement, one of the said sets being shorterthan the other set in the same element and commencing at a later periodin the direction of rotation of the impelling element, whereby one ofthe said sets upon each of the casing and impelling elements will be inctrengagement during a portion of the rotation of the impelling elementand both of the said sets will be in such co-engagement during anotherportion of the rotation thereof. r

2. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary il'npelling elementmounted therein, the said impelling element and casing being providedwith a plurality of sets of buckets and reaction surfaces progres sivelydisposed, the several sets being arranged to be successively connectedwith the preceding sets in the rotation of the rotary element wherebythe area of the successive sets will be added to the area of thepreceding sets to provide for the expansion of the motive fluid. throughsuccessive stages.

A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling element, thesaid impelling element and easing being provided with a plu 'ality ofconcentrically disposed sets of buckets and reaction surfaces, thebuckets of each of the said sets being uniformly disposed to formcomplete rings, while the sets of reaction surfaces in the casingelement are intermittently disposed to constitute ring segments of progressively decreasing length, the reaction surfaces of the several ringsegments of each group being connected at the forward and rearward endsof the said segn'lents.

4-. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling element,the Said impelling element and easing being provided with a plurality ofcomzentrically disposed sets of buckets and reaction surfaces, thebuckets of each of the said sets being uniformly disposed to formcomplete rings, while the sets of reaction surfaces in the easingelement are intermittently disposed to constitute ring segments ofprogressively decreasing length, the terminal portions of the severalsets of ring segments in each group being disposed in substantially thesame radial lines, the reaction surfaces of the several ring segments ofeach group being connected at the approach and terminal ends of the saidsegments.

5. A turbine engine comprising a stationary casing element and a rotaryimpelling element mounted to rotate therein, the said casing andimpelling elements having adj accnt lateral faces, the one having aplurality of cmicentrieally disposed reaction recesses therein, and theother with a plurality of concentrically disposed buckets arranged forrespective co-engagement with the said reaction recesses, the severalsets of reaction surfaces being of progressively decreasing length andarranged to commence at progressively later periods in the rotation ofthe impelling element, the said engine being provided with cross-overpassages which connect the reaction surfaces of the several setstogether, whereby in the rotation of the impelling element the area ofthe succeeding sets of reaction surfaces and buckets may be added to thearea of the preceding sets so that the motive fluid may expandtherethrongh in several stages.

(3. A turbine engine comprising a stationary casing element and a rotaryimpelling element mounted to rotate therein, the said casing andimpelling elements being provided with complememary ring portionscoiuzentrically disposed and laterally offset, the complementary lateralfaces of the said ring-like portions of the casing and impellingelements having reaction surfaces and buckets respectively therein, thesaid reaction surfaces extending tlnrough progressively decreasing arcsuponthesaid ring-like portions, substantially as specified.

7. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementmounted to rotate therein, the said rotary impelling element having aplurality of peripheral grooves therein of progressively increasingwidth, and the said chamber having an inwardly projecting portion fittedthereto whereby the complementary faces of the said inwardly projectingportion of the casing and of the outwardly projecting portion of theimpelling element are arranged in a series of concentrically laterallyoffset rings occupying oarallel planes at right angles to the axis 0rotation of therotary element, the said complementary faces of thecasing and impelling members being provided with a plurality of recessesto constitute buckets and reaction surfaces.

8. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementmounted to rotate therein, the said rotary impelling element having aplurality of peripheral grooves therein of progressively increasingwidth, and the said chamber having an inwardly projecting portion fittedthereto, whereby the complementary faces of the said inwardly projectingortion of the casing and of the outwar ly projecting portion of theimpelling element are arranged in a series ofconcentrically laterallyoffset rings occupying parallel planes at right angles to the axis ofrotation of the rotary element, the said complementary faces of thecasing and impelling members being provided with a plurality of recessesto constitute buckets and reactionsurfaces, the reaction surfaces uponeach side of the said inwardly projecting portion of the casing beingarranged to extend through progressively decreasing arcs.

9. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementmounted to rotate therein, the said rotary impelling element having aplurality of peripheral grooves therein, of progressively increasingwidth, and the said chamber having an inwardly projecting portion fittedthereto, whereby the complementary faces of the said inwardly projectingportion of the casing and of the outwardly projecting portion of theimpelling element are arranged in a se ries of concentrically laterallyoffset rings occupying parallel planes at right angles to the axis ofrotation of the rotary element,

the said complementary faces of the casing and impelling members beingprovided with a plurality of recesses to constitute buckets and reactionsurfaces, the reaction surfaces upon each side of the said inwardlyprojecting portion of the casing being arranged to extend throughprogressively decreasing arcs and to commence at progressively laterperiods in the rotation of the impelling element.

I0. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementmounted to rotate therein, the said rotary impelling ele- 'ment having aplurality of peripheral grooves therein of progresslvely increasingwidth, and the said chamber having an inwardly projecting portion fittedthereto, whereby the complementary faces of the sam inwardly projectinportion of the casing and of the outwarc 1y projecting portion or theimpelling element are arranged in a series of concentrically laterallyoffset rings occupying parallel planes at right angles to the axis ofrotation of the rotary element, the said complementary faces of thecasing and impelling members being provided with a plurality of recessesto constitute buckets and reaction surfaces, the area of the saidbuckets and of the said reaction surfaces being-larger upon one side ofthe said in wardly projecting portion of the, casing than upon theother, whereby the reaction surraces and buckets upon one sideconstitute highpressure elements and upon the other side low pressureelements, the capacity of one set of the low pressure buckets andrecesses being in excess of the capacity of all of the high pressurebuckets and recesses.

11. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementmounted to rotate therein, the said rotary impelling element having aplurality of peripheral grooves therein of progressively increasingwidth, and the said chamber having an inwardly projecting portion fittedthereto, whereby the complementary faces of the said inwardly projectingportion of the casing and of the outwardly projecting portion of theimpelling element are arranged in a series of concentrically laterallyofiset rings occupying parallel planes at right angles to the axis ofrotation of the rotary element, the said complementary faces of thecasing and impelling members being provided with a plurality of recessesto constitute buckets and reaction surfaces, the reaction surfaces uponeach slde of the said inwardly proecting portion of the casing beingarranged to extend through progressively decreasing,

arcs, the area of the said buckets and of the said reaction surfacesbeing larger upon one side of the said inwardly projecting portion ofthe casing than upon the other, whereby the reaction surfaces andbuckets upon one side constitute high pressure elements and upon theother side low pressure elements, the capacity of one set of the lowpressure buckets and recesses being in excess of the capacity of all ofthe high pressure buckets and recesses.

12. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementmounted to rotate therein, the said rotary impelling element having aplurality of peripheral grooves therein of progressively increasingwidth, and the said chamberhaving an inwardly projecting portion fittedthereto whereby the complementary faces of the said inwardly projectingportion of the casing and of the outwardly projecting portion of theimpelling element are arranged in a series of concentrically late "allyotl'set rings occupying parallel planes at right angles to the axis ofrotation of the rotary element, the said complementary faces of thecasing and impelling members being provided with a plurality of recessesto constitute buckets and reaction surfaces, the reaction surfaces uponeach side of the said inwardly projecting portion of the casing beingarranged to extend through progressively decreasing arcs and to commenceat progressively later periods in the rotation of the impelling element,the area of the said buckets and of the said reaction surfaces beinglarger upon one side of the said inwardly projecting portion of thecasing than upon the other, whereby the reaction surfaces and bucketsupon one side constitute high pressure elements and upon the other sidelow pressure elements, the capacity of one set of the low pressurebuckets and recesses being in excess of the capacity of all of the highpressure buckets and recesses.

13. A turbine engine comprising a stationary easing element and a rotaryimpel- ;ling clement mounted therein, the said impelling element beingprovided with concentric rings of buckets and the said casing elementbeing provided with two groups of concentrically disposed sets ofreaction surfaces for complementary engagement with the said buckets,the said reaction surfaces in each group extending through arcs ofprogressively decreasing length and arranged to commence atprogressively later periods in the rotation of the impelling element inone direction or the other respectively, and a reversing valve foradmitting motive fluid to either one or the other of the said groups ofreaction surfaces.

14. A. turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementmounted to rotate therein, the said casing being provided with aninwardly projecting ring and the said impelling element having outwardly projecting flanges for co-engagement with the opposite sides of thesaid ring, the inwardly facing portions of the impelling element flangesbeing recessed in concentric rings to form buckets, and the outer facesof the inwardly projecting portion of the casing being recessed to formcomplementary reaction surfaces, the reaction surfaces being formed inalternately arranged groups, each group comprising a plurality of setsconcentrically disposed in arcs of progressively decreasing length, t'ansfer passages for connecting the groups of reaction surfaces upon oneside of the casing portion with other groups upon the other sidethereof, and valves for controlling the said passages to determine whichgroups shall be so connected.

15. A turbine engine comprising a stationary casing element and a rotaryimpel- Iing element mounted therein, the said impelliug element beingprovided with concentric rings of high pressure buckets and otherconcentric rings of low pressure buckets, and the said casing elementbeing provided with two groups of concentrically disposed reactionsurfaces for complementary engagement with the high pressure buckets andtwo groups of concentrically disposed sets of reaction surfaces forcomplementary engagement with the said low pressure buckets, the saidreaction surfaces of the said high pressure groups extending througharcs of progressively decreasing length and arranged to commence atprogressively later periods in the rotation of the impelling element inone direction or the other, a reversing valve for admitting motive fluidto either one or the other of the said groups of high pressure reactionsurfaces, transfer passages for connecting the roups of high pressurereaction surfaces with other groups of the low pressure reactionsurfaces, and valves for controlling the said passages to determinewhich sets of groups shall be so connected.

16. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementmounted to rotate therein, the said rotary impelling element beingprovided with a plurality of concentrically disposed rings of highpressure buckets and a plurality of concentrically disposed rings of lowpressure buckets of larger area, the said casing being provided with astationary element provided with groups of high pressure reactionsurfaces for co-engagement with the high pressure buckets, and groups oflow pressure reaction surfaces for coe1'1gage1nent with the low pressurebuckets, the said high and low pressure groups of reaction surfacesbeing arranged in pairs, each group comprising concentrically arrangedsets which extend through arcs of progressively decreasing length ar-angcd to be reached progressively later in the rotation of theimpelling element, transfer valves for connecting the groups of the highand low pressure reaction surfaces of each pair alternatively together,and reversing valves for admitting motive fluid to either group of asaid pair of high pressure reaction surfaces.

17. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementtherein, said impelling element being provided with a plurality ofconcentrically arranged sets of buckets open on the same side; thecasing being provided with a plurality of sets of recesses, each set ofrecesses being in circumferential alinement with one of the sets ofbuckets and arranged to lead motive fluid from some of the buckets toothers of the buckets on the same side of the impelling element; w

18. A turbine engine comprising a casing and a rotary impelling elementtherein, said impellin'g element being provided With a plurality ofconcentrically arranged sets of buckets open on the same side therebeing the same number of buckets in each set; the casing being providedWith a plurality of sets of recesses there being an unlike number ofrecesses in each set, each set of recesses being in circumferentialalinement With one of the sets of buckets and arranged to le-ad motivefluid from some of the buckets to others of the buckets on the same sideof the impell-ing element, the several sets of recesses being arrangedto be successively con nected with the preceding set or sets (luring therotation of the impelling element Whereby the capacity of the bucketsand recesses will be cumulatively added to provide for expansion of themotive fluid through successive stages; i a

EMIL ANDERSON. lVitnesses-z D. HoWA-Rn HAYWOOD? LYMAN S. ANDREWS, J r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "commissioner of Pateii'tb, WaShiii'gtbiI, (D. G.

